the kite runner-第74部分

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him；　I　could　sit　here　and　trace　generations　of　his　ancestors　for　you　if　you　asked。　That　s　why　when　his　father……God　give　him　peace……came　khastegari；　I　didn　t　hesitate。　And　believe　me；　his　father　wouldn　t　have　agreed　to　ask　for　your　hand　if　he　didn　t　know　whose　descendant　you　were。　Blood　is　a　powerful　thing；　bachem；　and　when　you　adopt；　you　don　t　know　whose　blood　you　re　bringing　into　your　house。
　Now；　if　you　were　American；　it　wouldn　t　matter。　People　here　marry　for　love；　family　name　and　ancestry　never　even　e　into　the　equation。　They　adopt　that　way　too；　as　long　as　the　baby　is　healthy；　everyone　is　happy。　But　we　are　Afghans；　bachem。　
　Is　the　fish　almost　ready？　　Soraya　said。　General　Taheri　s　eyes　lingered　on　her。　He　patted　her　knee。　　Just　be　happy　you　have　your　health　and　a　good　husband。　
　What　do　you　think；　Amir　jan？　　Khala　Jamila　said。
I　put　my　glass　on　the　ledge；　where　a　row　of　her　potted　geraniums　were　dripping　water。　　I　think　I　agree　with　General　Sahib。　
Reassured；　the　general　nodded　and　went　back　to　the　grill。
We　all　had　our　reasons　for　not　adopting。　Soraya　had　hers；　the　general　his；　and　I　had　this：　that　perhaps　something；　someone；　somewhere；　had　decided　to　deny　me　fatherhood　for　the　things　I　had　done。　Maybe　this　was　my　punishment；　and　perhaps　justly　so。　It　wasn　t　meant　to　be；　Khala　Jamila　had　said。　Or；　maybe；　it　was　meant　not　to　be。
A　FEW　MONTHS　LATER；　we　used　the　advance　for　my　second　novel　and　placed　a　down　payment　on　a　pretty；　two…bedroom　Victorian　house　in　San　Francisco　s　Bernal　Heights。　It　had　a　peaked　roof；　hardwood　floors；　and　a　tiny　backyard　which　ended　in　a　sun　deck　and　a　fire　pit。　The　general　helped　me　refinish　the　deck　and　paint　the　walls。　Khala　Jamila　bemoaned　us　moving　almost　an　hour　away；　especially　since　she　thought　Soraya　needed　all　the　love　and　support　she　could　get……oblivious　to　the　fact　that　her　well…intended　but　overbearing　sympathy　was　precisely　what　was　driving　Soraya　to　move。
SOMETIMES；　SORAYA　SLEEPING　NEXT　TO　ME；　I　lay　in　bed　and　listened　to　the　screen　door　swinging　open　and　shut　with　the　breeze；　to　the　crickets　chirping　in　the　yard。　And　I　could　almost　feel　the　emptiness　in　Soraya　s　womb；　like　it　was　a　living；　breathing　thing。　It　had　seeped　into　our　marriage；　that　emptiness；　into　our　laughs；　and　our　lovemaking。　And　late　at　night；　in　the　darkness　of　our　room；
I　d　feel　it　rising　from　Soraya　and　settling　between　us。　Sleeping　between　us。　Like　a　newborn　child。
FOURTEEN
_June　2001_
I　lowered　the　phone　into　the　cradle　and　stared　at　it　for　a　long　time。　It　wasn　t　until　Aflatoon　startled　me　with　a　bark　that　I　realized　how　quiet　the　room　had　bee。　Soraya　had　muted　the　television。
　You　look　pale；　Amir；　　she　said　from　the　couch；　the　same　one　her　parents　had　given　us　as　a　housewarming　gift　for　our　first　apartment。　She　d　been　tying　on　it　with　Aflatoon　s　head　nestled　on　her　chest；　her　legs　buried　under　the　worn　pillows。　She　was　halfwatching　a　PBS　special　on　the　plight　of　wolves　in　Minnesota；　half…correcting　essays　from　her　summer…school　class……she　d　been　teaching　at　the　same　school　now　for　six　years。　She　sat　up；　and　Aflatoon　leapt　down　from　the　couch。　It　was　the　general　who　had　given　our　cocker　spaniel　his　name；　Farsi　for　　Plato；　　because；　he　said；　if　you　looked　hard　enough　and　long　enough　into　the　dog　s　filmy　black　eyes；　you　d　swear　he　was　thinking　wise　thoughts。
There　was　a　sliver　of　fat；　just　a　hint　of　it；　beneath　Soraya　s　chin　now　The　past　ten　years　had　padded　the　curves　of　her　hips　some；　and　bed　into　her　coal　black　hair　a　few　streaks　of　cinder　gray。　But　she　still　had　the　face　of　a　Grand　Ball　princess；　with　her　bird…in…flight　eyebrows　and　nose；　elegantly　curved　like　a　letter　from　ancient　Arabic　writings。
　You　took　pale；　　Soraya　repeated；　placing　the　stack　of　papers　on　the　table。
　I　have　to　go　to　Pakistan。　
She　stood　up　now。　　Pakistan？　
　Rahim　Khan　is　very　sick。　　A　fist　clenched　inside　me　with　those　words。
　Kaka　s　old　business　partner？　　She　d　never　met　Rahim　Khan；　but　I　had　told　her　about　him。　I　nodded。
　Oh；　　she　said。　　I　m　so　sorry；　Amir。　
　We　used　to　be　close；　　I　said。　　When　I　was　a　kid；　he　was　the　first　grown…up　I　ever　thought　of　as　a　fri